Tips, Tricks, Dos & Don’ts for Successful Wiki Implementation
1. Do provide access to the wiki outside of district or school intranets.
Adoption will happen more quickly if staff can access the wiki from any location and not just from the office or campus. In order to promote adoption, it should be easily accessible and easy to use. Keep it simple.
2. Do encourage “grass-roots” adoption.
If your entire organization or school is not yet ready to plunge into system-wide wiki use, allow smaller groups or teams to create their own wikis. Be supportive of these “grass-roots” efforts and highlight their accomplishments when appropriate so that the other staff members become aware of how the wiki use is contributing to the organization.
3. Don’t impose an overly strict structure to the wiki.
Do allow employees to define a structure that meets their needs as often as possible. Start with a skeletal structure and allow employees the flexibility to change that structure as needed. Allow for an organic, flexible, and evolving structure from the beginning of wiki implementation.
4. Don’t block access to free wiki sites such as Wikipedia, PBWorks, or WetPaint.
These free sites offer all staff members an easily accessible and easy-to-use space where they can explore how to use wikis by creating their own for personal use. Access to these wiki sites also allows employees to become exposed to wikis used in other schools and districts, to network with other educators who have adopted wiki use, and to see a wide variety of uses across classrooms, schools, and districts.
5. Do get permission to publish images of students and colleagues.
This is a no-brainer for legal reasons — especially when students are involved. Some include photo permission forms as part of their admissions packet and have on file permission requests of parents. Additionally, schools should have rules for identification of people in photos. Many schools only allow first names and last initials for privacy reasons.
6. Do provide praise and encouragement for ANY participation, then, praise and encouragement for meaningful participation.
We are human. We like to receive a “pat on the back” when we participate in ways that add value to the whole. Public praise and encouragement may also send an encouraging message to staff members who have been reluctant to use the wiki in their work.
7. Do insist on real names or a consistent use of a psedudonym for username. Don’t allow for anonymous edits or comments. Do set a positive, constructive tone early.
Online etiquette is very important because we lose the visual and verbal cues that are present in face-to-face settings. The use of real names (or at least First Name and Last Initial for students) or making sure that a list of pseudonyms and corresponding real names held by the teacher or administrator helps provide the transparency necessary for safe, positive, and effective online collaboration and it holds people accountable for the content that they create.
8. Do start small and make edits together as a group the first time.
Group mentoring of new technologies can be as effective as one-on-one mentoring for most users, but, of course, this is even more effective if paired with follow-up mentoring for users who find the wiki challenging. Encourage more tech-savvy users to be bold in their use of the wiki while also acting as mentors to the users who need mroe help and guidance.
9. Do promote the use of wiki over email for projects and tasks that you are designating to be done on the wiki and avoid the temptation to provide information in media other than the wiki.
Gently remind users to share information through the wiki rather than through email if you are pushing project management to the wiki for a task. Model the use of wiki for collaboration and the use of email for short, immediate messages that do not require intensive collaborative efforts. Do not provide alternative media or locations for information and content that is more appropriate for inclusion the wiki. When employees ask where they can find that information, remind them that it is on the wiki. The wiki should become the one-stop shop for all your collaborative documentation and information.
10. Do understand that many of your users will not be comfortable with technology.
Be willing to accept that some of your employees have yet to accept email as the standard form of written communication across your organization. While you should be aware of this, you should also create opportunities for them to use the wiki with some guided practice.
11. Do let go of the notion that physical presence is the only prerequisite for collaboration and productivity.
These new tools allow for collaboration from any place, any time. Time is a scarce resource in our business, and it is frequently very difficult to coordinate face-to-face meeting times and locations with busy leadership teams who are taking care of the important school and/or district business. Much of our typical brainstorming and collaboration can take place thorough wikis and other web-based tools.
12. Do provide some one-on-one hand-holding and coaching for users who need it.
One-shot workshops on a professional development day are not effective means for helping faculty learn new technology. Understand that you will have some users who will need some one-on-one time to learn how to use the wiki.
13. Do be patient.
It cannot be stated enough that this process takes time. Be patient with the learning curves of the users and be patient with each individual’s path and pace in learning.
Tips, Tricks, Dos & Don’ts for Successful Wiki Implementation
1. Do provide access to the wiki outside of district or school intranets.
Adoption will happen more quickly if staff can access the wiki from any location and not just from the office or campus. In order to promote adoption, it should be easily accessible and easy to use. Keep it simple.
2. Do encourage “grass-roots” adoption.
If your entire organization or school is not yet ready to plunge into system-wide wiki use, allow smaller groups or teams to create their own wikis. Be supportive of these “grass-roots” efforts and highlight their accomplishments when appropriate so that the other staff members become aware of how the wiki use is contributing to the organization.
3. Don’t impose an overly strict structure to the wiki.
Do allow employees to define a structure that meets their needs as often as possible. Start with a skeletal structure and allow employees the flexibility to change that structure as needed. Allow for an organic, flexible, and evolving structure from the beginning of wiki implementation.
4. Don’t block access to free wiki sites such as Wikipedia, PBWorks, or WetPaint.
These free sites offer all staff members an easily accessible and easy-to-use space where they can explore how to use wikis by creating their own for personal use. Access to these wiki sites also allows employees to become exposed to wikis used in other schools and districts, to network with other educators who have adopted wiki use, and to see a wide variety of uses across classrooms, schools, and districts.
5. Do get permission to publish images of students and colleagues.
This is a no-brainer for legal reasons — especially when students are involved. Some include photo permission forms as part of their admissions packet and have on file permission requests of parents. Additionally, schools should have rules for identification of people in photos. Many schools only allow first names and last initials for privacy reasons.
6. Do provide praise and encouragement for ANY participation, then, praise and encouragement for meaningful participation.
We are human. We like to receive a “pat on the back” when we participate in ways that add value to the whole. Public praise and encouragement may also send an encouraging message to staff members who have been reluctant to use the wiki in their work.
7. Do insist on real names or a consistent use of a psedudonym for username. Don’t allow for anonymous edits or comments. Do set a positive, constructive tone early.
Online etiquette is very important because we lose the visual and verbal cues that are present in face-to-face settings. The use of real names (or at least First Name and Last Initial for students) or making sure that a list of pseudonyms and corresponding real names held by the teacher or administrator helps provide the transparency necessary for safe, positive, and effective online collaboration and it holds people accountable for the content that they create.
8. Do start small and make edits together as a group the first time.
Group mentoring of new technologies can be as effective as one-on-one mentoring for most users, but, of course, this is even more effective if paired with follow-up mentoring for users who find the wiki challenging. Encourage more tech-savvy users to be bold in their use of the wiki while also acting as mentors to the users who need mroe help and guidance.
9. Do promote the use of wiki over email for projects and tasks that you are designating to be done on the wiki and avoid the temptation to provide information in media other than the wiki.
Gently remind users to share information through the wiki rather than through email if you are pushing project management to the wiki for a task. Model the use of wiki for collaboration and the use of email for short, immediate messages that do not require intensive collaborative efforts. Do not provide alternative media or locations for information and content that is more appropriate for inclusion the wiki. When employees ask where they can find that information, remind them that it is on the wiki. The wiki should become the one-stop shop for all your collaborative documentation and information.
10. Do understand that many of your users will not be comfortable with technology.
Be willing to accept that some of your employees have yet to accept email as the standard form of written communication across your organization. While you should be aware of this, you should also create opportunities for them to use the wiki with some guided practice.
11. Do let go of the notion that physical presence is the only prerequisite for collaboration and productivity.
These new tools allow for collaboration from any place, any time. Time is a scarce resource in our business, and it is frequently very difficult to coordinate face-to-face meeting times and locations with busy leadership teams who are taking care of the important school and/or district business. Much of our typical brainstorming and collaboration can take place thorough wikis and other web-based tools.
12. Do provide some one-on-one hand-holding and coaching for users who need it.
One-shot workshops on a professional development day are not effective means for helping faculty learn new technology. Understand that you will have some users who will need some one-on-one time to learn how to use the wiki.
13. Do be patient.
It cannot be stated enough that this process takes time. Be patient with the learning curves of the users and be patient with each individual’s path and pace in learning.